The present invention relates to an axle system particularly usable for skates, and especially for skates employing a disc-braking system.
Currently, in known roller skates employing a disc-braking system, the axles have a complex shape in order to both support the braking wheel and carry the components of the disc-braking system (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,375,859, 5,401,038, 5,752,707). The axle sections adjacent to the wheel are shaped specifically to provide proper interaction of the braking system with the axles, effecting braking action on the wheel when so desired. Cylindrical portions of the axles, sized to standard wheel bearing inner diameters, pass through the wheel for support thereof.
When removal of the braking wheel is desired, these axle sections are unfastened and removed from the skate frame, allowing the wheel to be freed. However, all the disc-brake system components supported on the axles must also be removed from the axles to allow complete disassembly of the axles for wheel removal. This results in a complex, and potentially difficult, sequence of assembly steps just to replace the wheel. Parts may be lost or re-assembled incorrectly, resulting in frustrations to the user.